A Tango Away From The Truth
by unnoticedshadow
Summary: Gabriella has a secret that has caused her to be ridiculed at previous schools.  How will her friends react when they find out she's been hiding something?  Eventual Troyella.  I do not own HSM, HSM2 or any characters etc.  NOW COMPETE!
1. Winning The Competition

Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or any of the characters. Before I start, I know some chapters are a bit short, but I am attempting to start writing longer chapters. Enjoy the story!! Chapter 1 – Winning the Competition 

"And, the winner of The Under 18 Ballroom Dancing Competition 2007 is… William Hathe Tellbing and Zara Mollie Bengt!"

William and Zara made their way gracefully to the stage to receive their trophies. Both were over the moon to have won for the third year running, but Zara had a heavy heart. Just for once she would like to be acknowledged at school without being ridiculed for doing 'Granny Dancing'.

She wished that she could yell to the world about her skill.

She wished she could dance under her real name.

She wished she could dance as Gabriella Montez.

A/N: So, should I continue? Please review and let me know! 


	2. Memories

Chapter 2 – Memories 

Gabriella was quiet on the drive back home, but her mother, Maria Montez, knew not to push her to talk. Not when she was in one of her reflective moods like she was now. Maria glanced through the rear view mirror at her daughter's face. She knew something was wrong, but she didn't know what.

Gabriella knew her mom was watching her, but she was too deep in thought to care. She had cast her mind back to the day when she had to adopt a stage name; due to the teasing she would constantly receive at her various schools.

Flashback 

_Gabriella is eight years old and was wandering dejectedly through the corridors of her school. She was thinking about the competition she and her partner, Matthew, would be taking part in that night. As she ran through their quickstep, their signature dance, in her head, she heard a large group of 'it' girls moving towards her. They bullied her constantly about her love of Ballroom dancing, and it looked like today was going to be no different._

"_Hey! Geeky Granny! Over here!" yelled Anita Philipps, the leader of the pack. Anita had constantly bullied Gabriella ever since 2__nd__ grade, when she found out Gabriella was a famous ballroom dancer. What didn't help matters was the fact that Gabriella was extremely smart, already doing High School level Math at the age of eight._

_As Gabriella reluctantly spun round, she felt her bag lighten, and a large bang._

_Anita smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'm soooo sorry Gabi!"_

_At this Gabriella muttered "Yeah right," then in a slightly more confident tone, "I'm called Gabriella. Only Dad can call me Gabi."_

_Anita chuckled, and stared straight at Gabriella and said, "So where is precious Daddy-boo now then? Oh yeah, he's DEAD with a HOLE in his chest!" and with that Anita and her cronies strutted off, leaving Gabriella to hold back her tears. She just couldn't take it anymore._

_End Flashback_

When she had arrived home that night, she talked to her Mum, and her dancing partner of one year, Matthew Billinghaille, and they came to an agreement. It turned out at Matthew's school everyone was calling him gay, and making his life just as miserable. So Gabriella moved school, and they both adopted a stage name. If you looked closely you could see the stage names were actually just anagrams of their real names. So, Gabriella Montez became Zara Mollie Bengt, and Matthew Billinghaille became William Hathe Tellbing. They were never recognised or ridiculed, and that was how they like it. However, things were soon going to take a turn for the worst for Gabriella at East High.

**A/N: Yay! I wrote a long chapter! So should I carry on writing this story?**


	3. The Next Day

Chapter 3 – The Next Day 

As Gabriella walked towards the doors to East High, she heard her friends, Troy, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay, Ryan, Zeke, Kelsi and Jason, talking about the competition she won. These competitions were always shown on TV, and Gabriella got them interested in it. She wanted her friends to see her dance, even though they didn't actually know who it was.

As she approached them she heard them talking about 'Zara', and heard Taylor say,

"I can't believe Zara is under 18! She dances like a pro, and the way she and William whizzed around the dance floor like that throughout their quickstep? She deserved to win!"

Even though Gabriella was proud of herself, she knew she had made mistakes, and thought she should make them known.

She wandered up to the gang, standing in between Troy and Taylor, and said, "Yeah, I agree that they danced well, but I think William danced the best. He led Zara around the floor so well. Zara danced well too, but personally I think that her locksteps weren't tight enough, and her spin turns were all over the place."

"WHAT?" The team stared at her in amazement, and Sharpay said, "Come on Gabriella, you're the one who said we should watch, in your exact words, 'The pros of the future', but now you're putting them down. Look, I'm sorry to say this, but last time I checked, you didn't know anything about ballroom dancing. The judges obviously loved her, and they know best."

"Yeah, well sometimes judges make mistakes."

"Whatever Gabriella." Troy decided to join in the conversation, but his tone was cold and harsh. "Look Gabriella, I know that you like to think you're right the majority of the time, but this time? You're wrong."

Gabriella felt tears pricking at her eyes. She sighed, realising that this time, the one boy who held her heart, was breaking it, not protecting it. She was going to have to lie her way out of this one.

"Look guys, I'm sorry, but I'm feeling the stress of… um… schoolwork at the moment, and it's easier to take it out on somebody I don't even know, than one of you guys. You all mean too much to me."

She smiled weakly as Zeke hugged her. "It's okay sis," he said. This was a common endearment from Zeke, as Zeke considered Gabriella the sister he never had, and Gabriella considered Zeke the brother she'd never had."

Everyone was content with each other, when the bell rang, and Chad suddenly said, "Hey, there's the bell, it's time to go home. WOOHOO!" Everyone burst out laughing, and Taylor went to her boyfriend and said, "Honey, the bell has gone because it's time to go to homeroom!" They all laughed harder as they saw Chad visibly deflate. He suddenly decided he was hungry, so he dove into his school bag, and pulled out a half eaten McDonalds cheeseburger. Taylor placed the back of her hand over the burger and grimaced as Chad took a bite.

"Chad, that's disgusting. That burger is freezing. How long has that been in your bag?" Everyone was dreading the answer.

"I 'unno," he replied, with his mouth full of food. "A week? I keep ip in my preefer though when I dun won it." (**A/N: For those of you who didn't understand that he said, "I dunno. A week? I keep it in my freezer though when I don't want it.")**

"EWWW!!" All the girls screamed, and even the boys grimaced a bit. After all, not even Jason would do something _that_ stupid! Well, hopefully not, anyway!

As they started walking away, Kelsi grabbed Gabriella's arm and pulled her back, saying, "Why did you put yourself down like that? You were awesome last night, and you definitely did deserve to win!"

Gabriella smiled. "Thanks Kels."

As Kelsi smiled at her and walked away, Gabriella cast her mind back to when Kelsi unintentionally found out about Gabriella's alter ego.

_Flashback:_

_Gabriella was sitting in one of the music practise rooms, with her cell phone clutched to her ear, when Kelsi slipped in behind her. She opened her mouth to speak, when she saw she was on the phone to someone. So, realising that Gabriella would probably decapitate her if she knew that her conversation was being eavesdropped on, she decided to turn around and leave. That was, until she heard what Gabriella said:_

"_Yes, I know a double lockstep followed by a hover will mean we definitely stay in time, but we will still stay in time by doing a double lockstep followed by a topple. It will also use up more space, and that is always a sure winner for extra marks with the judges."_

_Kelsi felt shocked. She didn't realise Gabriella could dance! That wasn't her biggest surprise though, because she then heard Gabriella say something to stun Kelsi into complete and utter silence._

"_Yes Matt, I know that those steps are something that we would do for our quickstep, but you have to remember one tiny fact."_

_Kelsi grew a bit confused. What was the fact?_

"_Matt, on stage, we're not Matthew Billinghaille and Gabriella Montez. We're Zara Mollie Bengt and William Haithe Tellbing, and we mustn't forget that. Anyway, what time are you pick… erm, Matt? I have to go."_

_With that Gabriella Montez put her phone down, turning to Kelsi. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked, dreading the answer._

"_Since you started talking about double locksteps and all that jazz." Kelsi replied apologetically. Gabriella sighed, and motioned for Kelsi to sit down beside her on the piano stool. She then began to tell Kelsi all about her dancing career, her reason for moving schools so many times, and the bullies she encountered, including Anita Philipps._

_By the end of Gabriella's monologue, Kelsi was in shock. However, Gabriella said one more thing before she left._

"_Kelsi? I need you to promise that you won't tell ANYONE. Okay? Not even Troy or anyone in our group. I like being Gabriella. I don't want to be the Geeky Granny all over again. Understand?"_

_Kelsi agreed straight away._

_End Flashback._

Since then, Kelsi stood by her side, supporting her whenever she needed to. And, true to her word, she never told anybody.

Gabriella felt like with Kelsi, hardly anything could bring her fully down from her dancing high. However, little did she know, things were about to go downhill. And fast.

A/N: So there's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long for me to post it, but I wrote a slightly longer one than usual to make up for it. I'll try to write soon, but I am very busy. See ya!

**Oh, and thanks to Lil Spazzy Q for being the first reviewer for this story!**


	4. Puppy Love

Chapter 4 – Puppy Love **

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The next day, Gabriella walked into school, feeling content with herself. Her and Matt had won another competition last night, dancing the jive. They had been complemented on their kick ball changes and their chicken walks (**A/N: This is a real move, honest!)**, and Gabriella didn't feel like they didn't deserve to win.

As she walked over to the gang, she heard them talking about the competition, once again, all saying how well she, well, 'Zara', did.

"Hey guys!" she said as she waved at them.

However, instead of replying, they all looked pointedly at Troy, then back at Gabriella again.

Gabriella grew uncomfortable under their heated gazes. "What's going on? What have I done?" she asked, feeling slightly panicked.

"Nothing."

"Nada."

"Absolutely nothing."

"Troy wants to ermfgh."

"Troy wants to what, Jason?" asked Gabriella, as Taylor had covered his mouth with her hand before he could finish the sentence.

Troy gulped. "Erm, Gabriella, meet me in the music room at lunch time, okay? I have something I have to talk to you about."

"Okaaaaay…" Gabriella said, agreeing reluctantly.

* * *

Throughout the morning, Gabriella kept pleading with Taylor to tell her what Troy wanted, but Taylor wouldn't tell.

* * *

Finally, lunchtime arrived, and Gabriella went to the music room.

When she arrived, she saw a very strange sight. Kelsi was sitting at a piano, with a sheet of music, holding a microphone in one hand, and a walkie-talkie in the other.

"We're go," she muttered, whilst motioning for Gabriella to take a seat in the front row.

Once Gabriella sat down, Troy walked into the room and took the microphone from Kelsi and nodded. Kelsi played a few chords, and then Troy started to sing.

My brain is blank,  
My heart is heavy and I don't know what to do,  
For I have run out of ideas,  
Of how I could talk to you.

Doesn't the resignation in my eyes,  
Start to send a message?  
Or has the emotion between us,  
Set out on a voyage?

I don't know how to make this clear,  
Without upsetting you,  
But there is something muy importante,  
That I just must tell you.

I have fallen in love,  
With someone close to my heart,  
But this person could dash all my dreams,  
And tug my happiness apart.

I'm not just some lovesick teen,  
Who doesn't know any better,  
I've thought this over long and hard,  
And realised that this is much easier than a letter.

By communicating to you through song,  
It might be easier for us to dismiss,  
But if this all goes terribly wrong,  
I won't be able to cope with this.

I'm not just some lovesick teen,  
Who can't tell right from wrong,  
So to make this easier on both of us,  
I'm spilling my heart through a song.

I don't know how to make this clear,  
Without upsetting you,  
Unless I shout it from the rooftops,  
That I really.  
Do.  
Love.  
You.

* * *

With that, Troy stepped off the stage, and pulled Gabriella up to a standing position.

"Gabriella, ever since I sang with you at the ski lodge on New Years Eve, I could feel something between us. I didn't know what it was then, but I know now. It's love. Yes, I love you, Gabriella Montez, and I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend?"

Gabriella just stood there in shock for a minute, before leaping into Troy's arms and saying,

"Of course I will. I love you too Troy!"

They turned to go out, but stopped when they heard Kelsi play the piano again. Out came Chad, Zeke, Ryan, Jason, Taylor and Sharpay, all with microphones. They stepped forwards and began to sing.

* * *

Wise men say,only fools rush in  
But i cant help falling in love with you  
Shall I stay,would it be a sin  
If I cant help falling in love with you  
Like a river flows,into the sea  
So it goes something are meant to be (something are meant to be)  
Take my hand,take my whole life too  
For I cant help falling in love with you  
Wise men say,only fools rush in  
But I cant,I cant help falling in love with you

Like a river flows,into the sea  
So it goes something are meant to be (something are meant to be)

Take my hand,take my whole life too  
For I cant help falling in love with you

Take my hand,take my whole life too  
For I cant help falling in love with you

For I cant help falling in love,in love with you.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella laughed, as they made their way down from the stage for a group hug.

Then the bell rang.

Chad gasped, as he said, "Guys, we've missed lunch." He sighed melodramatically, as Taylor giggled.

"Chad, you've just finish eating!"

"Oh yeah."

They all laughed and turned to leave the music room.

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**I do not own the song the gang sang; "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" by UB40, but the song Troy sang is called "I Really Do Love You", and I wrote that song, so I do own it.**


	5. A Matter Of Trust

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm finally updating! Sorry it's taken so long but I've been majorly stressed out lately. I generally write at night, about 11pm onwards, but I've been spending all that time revising. So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!**

**BTW: This takes place a few weeks after Troy has asked Gabriella out, and, obviously, Gabriella has won loads more dancing competitions.**

**Chapter 5: A Matter Of Trust**

* * *

Gabriella Montez was happy. There was no other way to describe it. She was finally Troy's girlfriend, and she had great friends and a great dance partner. However, today the cracks were about to appear.

As Gabriella walked into school, her cell phone started buzzing. As she looked at the caller ID, she saw it was Matt, and so she started talking to him, after making sure no one was listening in. Or so she thought.

Little did she know, Troy was hiding behind the fountain, listening to his girlfriend's end of the conversation:

* * *

Gabriella: Heya Matt! How's it going?

Matt: Great thanks! You?

Gabriella: Good thanks. I'm glad you called me actually.

Matt: Aww did you miss me?

Gabriella: Yeah I missed you soooo much!! Hah! No, I wanted to talk to you about tonight.

Matt: Yeah. If we want to go the whole way to the top marks, we will have to make sure we use all the space, and really,_ connect,_ you know?

Gabriella: Yep. Connect and we can go the whole way tonight. Gotcha.

Matt: So, what are the arrangements for tonight? Am I still picking you up at seven?

Gabriella: Yep! It's a date.

Matt: Hahaha very funny. Stay away you madwoman!!!

Gabriella: See ya tonight then Matt.

* * *

And with that she hung up and walked through the doors, laughing to herself.

Troy was shocked. How could she cheat on him? They'd only been going out for a month. Troy was devastated. That was the only word that could half describe how Troy was feeling. Well, that and absolutely numb. He never imagined that Gabriella would cheat on him.

A lone tear rolled down his cheek. It just didn't seem right.

_I know_, he thought, _I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, and I won't mention it, but if she gives some reason to doubt her again, then I'll have to finish with her._

Troy didn't like this train of thought. He hated it actually, because he knew in his heart that something was being kept from him. That this Matt guy is probably right at the centre of it.

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	6. A Blast From The Past

**A/N: Hey guys! I've found the time to update quicker today, so here is the next chapter. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 6: A Blast From The Past.**

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Troy ran after Gabriella as she walked into school. A million thoughts were running through his head. Was she cheating on him with 'Matt'? Was she cheating on this Matt guy with him? Troy stopped dead. He had never considered that maybe; just maybe, Gabriella might have been dating Matt first. 

However, before he had time to gather his thoughts, he was slapped on the back by Chad.

"Hey, lover boy!" Chad said, as he walked over, holding hands with Taylor.

Troy frowned, and turned to him with a worried look on his face once Taylor had left to greet Gabriella.

"Do you think Gabriella's cheating on me?" he asked, but as soon as he asked, he knew what Chad was about to say.

"No. Gabriella would never do something like that. Anyway, do you have any proof? You can't just go round accusing people without any proof you know. That's just unfair."

However, as Troy relayed the phone conversation he had overheard, even Chad looked a bit doubtful.

"I dunno Troy, why don't you just ask her?"

Troy nodded and went off in search of Gabriella, but he didn't have to go very far, because, as usual, she was waiting for him by his locker. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and grabbed his hand as they started to walk to homeroom.

"Gabriella, are you cheating on me?" Troy blurted out, then winced. That was the worst way he could of asked her, and he then knew immediately that he had hurt her greatly, simply by looking into her eyes. Her soft chocolate brown eyes turned cold and angry. She couldn't believe that Troy could even suggest such a thing.

"No, I'm not Troy. How could you ask something like that?"

"Well," Troy replied, "I heard your conversation to… Matt, was it?"

Gabriella froze, and stared at him in alarm. "Yeah, that means nothing though. Matt is… is… my cousin. Yeah that's right. My cousin."

She nodded her head vigorously as if to try and support her point, but the bell rang before Troy could reply.

"I'll see you later Troy," she said quietly.

As she went and sat in her seat, she thought about what had happened so far. She would have to be more careful from now on about when she chatted to Matt. However, nothing could prepare her for what Ms Darbus was about to say next.

"Class, we have a new student today. This is Anita Philipps."

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A/N: Well, there's the next chapter. If you don't remember who Anita Philipps is, just skip back to Chapter 2! Please review!**


	7. A Big Decision

**A/N: Here's the next chapter guys! Sorry I haven't updated in yonks, but being in Year 11 means I'm totally bogged down already, and I'm only a month into the school year!**

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"Now, where shall we sit you?" pondered Ms Darbus as she gazed thoughtfully around the classroom. "Ah, I know, we'll sit you next to Miss Montez over there. Gabriella, raise your hand so Anita can see you please." 

Gabriella shakily raised her hand, and brought her head up to look at Anita as she sat down by her side.

"Hello, _Gabi_, long time no see, huh? How's the dancing going?"

Gabriella refused to reply, and just sat in silence in her own world until the bell rang.

* * *

As soon as the bell did ring, Gabriella stalked rapidly out of the room, dragging Kelsi along with her to the library, where they talked everything through. 

"What do I do, Kels?" asked Gabriella, panicking inside but trying desperately attempting to remain calm on the outside. If anyone saw her upset, then she would have to make up another lie, and it pained her enough to be lying to her only true friends now as it was.

Kelsi sighed. "I don't know Gabriella. I mean, from what you told me about Anita, she seems like a real nasty piece of work."

"Yeah," sighed Gabriella, "and that was when she was eight. How bad do you think she is now?"

"Well, what was the worst thing she did when you last saw her?"

Gabriella cast her mind back to when she was eight. "Well…"

_

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_

_Flashback:_

_An eight-year-old Gabriella was sitting under a tree during lunchtime. It was a beautiful summer's day, and Gabriella was staring up at the sky, lost in her own world, her hand clasping the locket around her neck._

_Why was she sitting there all alone? Well, it was exactly a year since someone had pulled a gun at her Dad's workplace, killing everyone in there. The locket around her neck was the only thing that connected her to her Dad. It wasn't a huge showy locket, it was small, but inside was a picture of Gabriella sitting on her father's knee at the beach the summer before it happened. They had gone to New Zealand for three weeks and it was the best holiday of her life, because her whole family was there._

_Anyway, as Gabriella was sitting under the tree, Anita approached her with an evil glint in her emerald green eyes. It was very faint, but ever since she was old enough to realise that not everyone told the truth, she had become extremely good at reading other people through their eyes. And right now, Gabriella Montez could see the faint hint of evil in Anita's near-perfect eyes._

"_Oh dear Gabriella, you know that you aren't allowed jewellery in school. Tut tut tut. What a naughty girl. I should take it from you to give to the teachers."_

"_No!" shouted Gabriella._

_The truth was, that even though jewellery wasn't supposed to be worn in school, Gabriella had special permission to, under the circumstances. However, Anita just couldn't learn to be nice, and she grabbed the necklace and tugged. Once it had come from around her neck, she turned around, thinking. Then, she threw the necklace, with all her might, over a fence and into a lake._

_Gabriella fell t the ground, sobbing. Her life was now even more incomplete than it was before._

_End Flashback._

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"Woah," sighed Kelsi, then put her arm round Gabriella's shoulder as silent tears started rolling down her cheeks. 

"Yeah," replied Gabriella, "and that was when she was eight. Who knows what she is capable of now."

Gabriella and Kelsi sat in silence for a while, contemplating what their next move should be, when Gabriella turned to Kelsi, and said determinedly,

"I'm going to tell the gang that I am Zara."

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A/N: Well, there's the next chapter. I will be more nclined to update if I get reviews!! Hint, hint!!!!!**


	8. A Step In The Right Direction

**A/N: Hiya!! Here's the next chapter! I'm getting more reviews now so I'm feeling more inclined to update quickly. Oh, and if any of you enjoy CSI: NY and the Danny/Lindsay pairing, please check out my other ongoing story, Twin Telepathy, and a One Shot, Singing Your Heart Out.**

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Kelsi looked up slowly, a hint of worry appearing in her eyes. 

"Are you sure?" she asked, "because I wouldn't blame you if you kept it to yourself."

"No," replied Gabriella, as she scribbled down an address on several different pieces of paper. "I have to do this. I don't want to lie anymore."

So, they discussed what the plan was going to be and left to go to the cafeteria.

* * *

Just as they pushed open the doors, Kelsi gently rested her hand on Gabriella's upper arm, offering her silent support, to which Gabriella only nodded. 

Once they approached the table, Gabriella spoke up, sounding confident but silently shaking on the inside.

"Hey guys, listen, I need to tell you something I should have told you a long time ago."

Immediately she was bombarded with questions.

"What?"

"What is it?"

"Is it serious?"

"Are you ill?"

"Are you addicted to giant mutant rabbit feet?"

"JASON!" they all shouted, for, yes, he was the one who suggested the rabbit feet!

"No guys," she replied, "and I'm not ill either. You remember when Troy thought I was cheating on him with someone called Matt, and I told him that he was my cousin. Well, I lied. Matt is a very special person in my life. But I can't tell you anything else right know, because it is extremely important that you tell NO-ONE. Do you understand?"

To this they simply nodded.

"Good," replied Gabriella, handed them each a slip of paper. "Now, I would like you to come to this address tonight, at the time stated. You need to dress quite smartly; you know, like suits and long, dressy skirts. Do you promise that you'll come?"

They all nodded, with the exception of Troy, who simply looked at his feet.

"Troy?" Gabriella inquired.

Troy nodded. "Sure, whatever."

Gabriella nodded. "Well, I'll see you all tonight then," she replied, and left.

She then avoided her friends for the rest of the day, for she knew that they would just ask questions, and this was the worst place for them to find out.

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**Well, there's the next chapter. I don't like this one very much, but it has just moved the story along a bit. Please review, or the giant mutant rabbit feet will get you. Muahahahahahaha!!!!**


	9. The Secret's Out

**A/N: Hiya!! Here's the next chapter!!!! I am going to use real professional dancers for this, but you will have to pretend that they are a bit younger. They are all professional dancers on the British Dance Competition, "Strictly Come Dancing". Enjoy!!**

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"Well," said Gabriella to Matthew as the stylists finished their hair. "I guess this is it. The night my secret comes out to the world." 

Matt smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, oh little worrier pal of mine. They'll love the fact that you're Zara. Didn't you say that they're addicted to watching her perform? Anyway, I can tell this has been eating you up on the inside. So it's for the best."

Gabriella sighed. She knew he was right, but she still had that little nugget of doubt in her mind, as she turned to him and said, "I know, but what if they hate me for keeping it from them?"

Matt sighed, and pulled her into a friendly hug. "Then maybe they aren't really your friends. Now come on, tonight, we will go out there and win. We have our two best dances, quickstep and jive, and we _can _do this."

Gabriella looked up, smiled confidently, and replied, "Yes, we can."

However, Gabriella had no idea what was happening out by the stage.

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Kelsi and the gang looked at their watches impatiently. It was nearly time for them to take their seats. For some reason that only Kelsi knew about, someone had 'mysteriously' reserved them all seats right at the front of the stage. Kelsi had managed to hide the true nature of the event from them, so they all believed they were watching a show, and then meeting Gabriella for pizza, as she had already seen that particular show. But oh, how wrong they were!

However, there was one thing going wrong, one person missing. And that person was Troy. Kelsi was furious. Of all the people Gabriella wanted there, it was obvious that in her heart, Troy was the one that Gabriella most wanted to reveal her secret to. But he wasn't here.

Suddenly an announcer boomed, "Please take your seats, we are about to begin."

Kelsi groaned. Troy obviously decided that he had more important things to do than do this one little thing for his girlfriend.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the announcer said,

"Welcome to this year's Under 18 Grand Ballroom Dance-Off. The prize tonight will be this fabulous trophy. We have five couples dancing tonight. They will start with their ballroom dance, and then go straight into their Latin American dance. Well, hopefully!"

This earned a small titter from the audience.

"Okay, the first couple dancing tonight are Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite!"

They danced great, thought Kelsi after they finished, but they aren't as good as Gabriella and Matthew!

The next three couples flew past, and Kelsi hardly noticed them, apart from their names, which were James Jordan and Ola Jordan, Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag, and finally, Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova.

Kelsi looked next to her, and, noticing that her friends looked a bit bored, smiled to herself as she thought of the shock they were about to experience.

"Hey, guys?" she whispered, "I think you might want to watch this."

The gang nodded and sat up a little straighter.

The announcer then spoke. "And now, for our final couple, please welcome, our winners for the past four years, William Haithe Tellbing and Zara Mollie Bengt."

The gang clapped, but then froze. For it was Gabriella who was walking out onto the dance floor to take up their positions.

Their first dance was to Mack the Knife, by Robbie Williams, and they danced a marvellous quickstep, with no mistakes.

The gang cheered as soon as they finished, but then 'William' ripped off 'Zara's' long skirt to leave a skimpier outfit for their jive. A familiar beat started up.

_

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One, Two, Three O'clock, Four O'clock rock,  
Five, Six, Seven O'clock, Eight O'clock rock.  
Nine, Ten, Eleven O'clock, Twelve O'clock rock,  
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight. _

Put your glad rags on and join me hon',  
We'll have some fun when the clock strikes one.

We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,  
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,  
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.

When the clock strikes two, three and four,  
If the band slows down we'll yell for more.

We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,  
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,  
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.

When the chimes ring five, six, and seven,  
We'll be right in seventh heaven.

_When the clock stikes twelve we'll cool off then,  
Start rockin' 'round the clock again._

_We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,  
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,  
We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight._

* * *

As Gabriella and Matt held their final position for the required amount of time, Gabriella looked to the seats where her friends were watching and smiled. She could see all her friends. Well, all but one. 

"He must have gone to the toilet," she thought, and didn't dwell on it any longer.

When the crowd had died down and the other dancers had come on to the floor, the announce stepped on to the dance floor and announced the winners.

"After consulting with the judges for this event, we have decided, that, for the Under 18 Grand Ballroom Dance-off 2007, the winners are…"

The audience and supporters held their breath as the announcer gestured towards the winners.

"William Haithe Tellbing and Zara Mollie Bengt!"

The arena erupted in cheers and stamping, especially from Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan, Taylor and Chad as the winners went up to collect their trophy and held it high, with radiant smiles on their faces.

* * *

After the show, Gabriella went outside with Matt, and was instantly jumped on by the gang. 

"Gabriella, that was amazing!! Why didn't you tell us?" demanded Sharpay, but Gabriella just shrugged with a smile on her face. I don't know. I guess I was scared because at all my previous schools I was bullied and called names like "The Geeky Granny". I didn't want that to happen here."

They all nodded to show that they understood. Then Matt coughed.

"Oh yeah, sorry Matt. Guys, this is Matt, my dance partner; the one Troy thought I was cheating on him with. Matt, this is Ryan, his twin sister Sharpay, her boyfriend Zeke, his friend Jason, Jason's girlfriend Kelsi, this is Taylor, her boyfriend Chad, and this is my boyf-"

Gabriella stopped.

"Hey, guys? Where's Troy?"

**

* * *

Ooh, what will the gang tell her? This is my longest chapter yet! I don't own anything in this chapter except for Matthew, the dance competition (I think) and the announcer! Yay. So, please review. The rabbits are happy, so they're sending the mutant goldfish after you now; the ones that can breathe on land!!!! **


	10. Disappointment and a Confrontation

**A/N: Here's the next chapter!!! Enjoy!!!**

* * *

The gang looked at each other uncomfortably, whilst Matt unconsciously stepped closer to Gabriella, as if to protect her. 

After a few minutes, Taylor stepped forward slightly, and said to Gabriella, in a melancholy tone, "He didn't come honey. I'm sorry."

Tears gathered in Gabriella's eyes as she turned to Kelsi, and asked, "Why didn't you phone him Kels? You knew how important it was, how important it _is_ that he finds out."

"I tried Gabriella," replied Kelsi, "but he kept rejecting my calls. Do you want us to tell him what he missed?"

Gabriella shook her head. After all, he didn't deserve to know.

**

* * *

**

The next day at school, Gabriella walked into school with Taylor, Chad, Sharpay, Ryan, Zeke, Kelsi and Jason, to find Troy standing at her locker, waiting for her.

She stalked up to him, and then stared coldly at him, waiting for him to give her a suitable explanation as to why he broke his promise to her.

"Hey Gabriella," Troy said happily, "Sorry I couldn't come to whatever you wanted me to go to, but Anita Philipps invited me to a concert, and, well, I decided to go. You missed a great show."

Gabriella's eyes widened. "How dare you?" she asked bitterly. "You promised me that you would come. Then you broke that promise to go to a stupid concert with that… that… bully?"

The gang didn't react, as Gabriella told them all about Anita the night before, but Troy looked horrified.

"You can't say that Gabriella," he said. "Anita is kind and sweet. How could you ever think that she is a bully?"

Gabriella just shook her head. "I can't believe you would stand up for her. You know what? You don't deserve to know my secret. You obviously aren't that bothered or you would have come to where I wanted you to last night. But no. You had to choose her over me, your girlfriend."

Troy laughed bitterly, then replied, "Yeah, and you know what? I'm glad I did. You're 'secret' can't be that huge, or I would have found out about it by now. They would have told me." He gestured to the gang.

Gabriella smiled. "No, my secret _is_ huge, but because then gang are such good, loyal friends, they agreed not to tell you. You don't deserve to know."

"Come on Gabriella, you have to tell me. I am your boyfriend after all."

But Gabriella just glared at him emotionlessly, and replied, "Well, you aren't acting like one."

And with that she walked off.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter isn't the longest, but I wanted to update. Personally, I hate this chapter, but I needed to add some sort of confrontation. Please review!**


	11. Eavesdropping In The Library

**A/N: Hi! I'm back! Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

The gang stared coldly at Troy, until Kelsi finally broke the silence, and said, voice rising throughout, "Listen Troy, Gabriella was desperate for you to be there last night. You betrayed her trust, and, to be perfectly honest, you made her feel totally worthless. She was so excited that she would finally be able to share such a huge portion of her life with us. It was going to be one of the best days of her life, but _you_ had to go and ruin it, didn't you." And with that she stalked off.

As the gang walked off behind her, Troy, in a last ditch attempt to reassure himself that what he did wasn't as bad as Gabriella and Kelsi were saying it was, asked, "Come on guys. Surely it wasn't that big of a deal, was it?" to which the replied simply, "Yes."

Troy decided that he should try to talk to Gabriella, and try and get back into her good books, so he went to the library, and sure enough, there she was. However, Troy stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her talking to Kelsi:

**Gabriella**/Kelsi

**What should I do now Kelsi? I mean, I can't tell him the truth; it hurts too much to relive it.**

I know. Maybe you should tell him who Anita really is.

**What? I should just walk up to him and go, "Hey Troy, guess what? The girl you went to that stupid concert with bullied me when I was eight, forced me to keep a huge chunk of my life hidden from the world, oh, and just to top it off, she threw the necklace that linked me to my dad into a lake, where it probably still remains now"? I don't think so.**

I don't know then Gabriella, but I think he should know the truth.

And with that, Kelsi left, leaving Troy standing there shocked, for two reasons. Firstly, because he didn't realise that Anita was such a bully, and secondly, because he knew where the necklace is now.

And it wasn't at the bottom of a lake.

**

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A/N: I'm really sorry, and I know that this is a really short chapter, but I just needed to put this in so that the story could move forward. Please review as it makes me more inclined to update.**


	12. The Return of a Treasured Item

**A/N: Hey, I'm back!!!! Thanks for the reviews!!! I am going to work on this as much as I can now, as I don't think that this story will go on much longer. So, here's the next chapter!!**

* * *

As soon as the final bell rang at the end of school, Troy ran to Gabriella's locker and pushed a note through its door. Then, with that he powered his way through the end of school crowd, pushed his way through the avalanche at the exit, and ran home as quick as he could. He needed to get something very important and try to explain to Gabriella why he hadn't gone to whatever it was that she wanted to tell him.

Meanwhile, at school, Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi and Sharpay were walking gently through the school, to go to the last stop of the day; Gabriella's locker. But when Gabriella opened her locker up, the sliver of paper made her stop dead in her tracks:

_

* * *

Gabriella,_

_I can't believe that I chose Anita instead of you, and I am so sorry. I know I have no right to ask you for your forgiveness, but I really need to talk to you._

_I really, really like you Gabriella. I think it's a bit too soon to be using the L word yet, but I know that I will say those three important words to you at some point. You are one of the most important things in the world to me, and I couldn't imagine life without you._

_So please Gabriella, give me one more chance. I need you by my side. For my whole life there has been emptiness in my heart, but now I know it was because you weren't by my side._

_So at the end of school, please come round to my house. I will be waiting hopefully for you._

_Yours forever,_

_Troy_

_XXX_

_PS: Sorry about the mushiness, but it's how I truly feel._

* * *

Gabriella and the rest of the girls just stood there in silence, mouths agape, until Chad, Ryan, Zeke and Jason came up to them.

"Hey girls," greeted Jason, but frowned when he got no reaction. So he tried again.

"Hey girls." Still no reaction. Starting to panic, he tried again. "Hello? Hellooooo? Nooooooooo!!!! Our girlfriends have gone deaf. Nooooooooooooooooo!!"

However, this shook the girls out of their reverie, and beginning to giggle, gently hit Jason over the head. Then they turned to Gabriella, giving her a nod, and Gabriella went powering off to meet Troy.

At Troy's house, Troy was pacing nervously in the living room, with a very special piece of jewellery in his hand. He heard a knock at the door and got up slowly, on shaking legs, to answer it. Gabriella was standing there. As soon as he opened the door, he looked into her eyes and saw the nervousness there. He guided her in and sat her down.

"Gabriella," he started, "Today I realised something. I knew you before you came to East High. I realised when I heard you talking to Kelsi in the library."

Gabriella was flabbergasted. **(A/N: Don't you just love that word? Sorry.) **She had no idea what he was talking about, and at this present moment she didn't even that he was eavesdropping. She just wanted the truth. When she voiced her thoughts, however, Troy simply smiled, and pressed something delicate into her hand. When she looked at t, she gasped, not letting her believe what she was holding. But, sure enough, the picture inside the locket confirmed the impossible. Troy Bolton had her locket.

"But how… when… why… huh?"

Troy couldn't help but laugh, as he took her hands and told her the story, from the other side of the lake.

_

* * *

Flashback:_

_A nine year old Troy was walking be a semi-frozen lake. It had been extremely cold the night before, which must have been why the lake had started to freeze._

_He liked walking by the lake because he could get away from the rest of his class. Was he being bullied? No. In fact, because he was an extremely talented basketball player, Troy was one of the most popular in his class._

_Looking over the fence, he noticed two girls. One seemed to be bullying the other. Upon closer inspection, he realised that the two girls were in the class below him. He had never spoken to them, so he probably wouldn't recognise them at a public event, or at a school reunion etc, but the next event did catch his eyes, as he saw the girl rip a locket from the dark haired girl's neck._

_The next thing he saw shocked him immensely. The locket came sailing over the fence, and landed on the lake. Troy held his breath, expecting it to sink, but, luckily, it had landed on one of the frozen sections of the lake._

_So Troy crawled carefully over the lake, and successfully managed to retrieve the locket. However, when he turned around, he saw that both girls were gone._

_The next day, Troy came into school again, and tried all day to find her, to return her locket. However, when he couldn't find her, he asked their school secretary if she was ill, but the secretary answered that she had simply moved away._

_End Flashback._

* * *

Gabriella was in shock. She couldn't believe that her and Troy went to the same school together, she couldn't believe that Troy had kept her locket for eight years, and she couldn't believe that the lake was frozen, and that the locket wasn't ruined after all.

She wrapped her arms around Troy, and a few tears leaked down her face. She was just so grateful, and so overwhelmed.

After a few minutes, Troy pulled back, and took her hands once again, looking straight into her eyes.

"Listen Gabriella," he started nervously, "I know I owe you a proper explanation as to why I missed your event to go with Anita to a concert. Truth is," he sighed nervously. This conversation could go two ways. "Truth is, Anita told me that you bullied her at school about eight years ago. I know that I shouldn't have believed her, because after all, firstly, you are my girlfriend, and secondly, she can't have possibly known you eight years ago. I'm so so so so sorry."

Gabriella was shocked. She had no idea that Anita could stoop so low! She smiled gently and said, "Don't worry about it Troy. Yes, you shouldn't have doubted me, but I know how cruel and twisted Anita can be. However, the truth is that I did know Anita eight years ago. Troy, Anita was the one who tried to throw the necklace into the lake."

Troy's ocean blue eyes clouded over into a fearsome grey. "I am going to go and have a few words with Anita."

However, as soon as Troy stood up, Gabriella took his hand. "Please Troy, don't do that. I want to show you something first. You would have seen this if you had missed the concert, but I don't blame you. Anita is very good at planting doubt in peoples minds."

And with that, they headed towards Gabriella's house.

**

* * *

A/N: Phew!! That was a long chapter. I reckon there should only be one or two more chapters, and I will try and right those as soon as possible. Please review!!**

**By the way, in case you're wondering, the 'avalanche' that I mentioned near the start of the chapter is what happens every day at my school. Basically, a huge crowd are all trying to get out of the door peacefully, until a small group right at the back yell "PUSH!" and everyone goes hurtling forwards, usually gaining a few bruises along the way!**


	13. Knowing the truth  LAST CHAPTER!

**A/N: Here's the final chapter!!**

* * *

As soon as they arrived at Gabriella's house, Gabriella's mom shouted down, "Gabriella, is that you?"

Gabriella shouted a reply back, mentioning that she was with Troy.

They headed up to Gabriella's room, and Gabriella pulled out loads of tapes from a box underneath her bed.

As she switched them on one at a time, Troy sat there in awe. In every single video, a young Gabriella was there dancing with another young boy. For the first few tapes, probably between the ages of six and eight, they were always introduced as Matthew Billinghaille and Gabriella Montez. However, after that, they were only ever introduced as William Haithe Tellbing and Zara Mollie Bengt.

After he had seen all the tapes, Troy turned to Gabriella, who told him the story, including all the harsh 'Geeky Granny' taunts. "So Matt, wasn't a cousin, or a secret boyfriend, he is your dance partner?" Gabriella nodded as he continued. "And all those times you said Zara was rubbish, and we got angry at you because we didn't think you knew what you were talking about, you in fact knew better thatn all of us?" Once again Gabriella nodded.

After all the questions had been answered, Gabriella pulled out another box. You know what?" she asked. "For the first time in eight years, I can finally put my awards on display. I've always had to hide them before, because if friends were coming over, I didn't want awkward questions to be asked. But now you guys all know, I can bring them out again. Who knows? Someday Matt and I might be able to actually dance under our own name. But I don't think that will be for a while."

Troy embraced her gently. He had no idea that Gabriella had so much talent kept a secret. He thought that she should have shouted it from the rooftops, but, at the same time, he could easily see it from her point of view.

"When's your next show?" he asked.

"Tomorrow."

**

* * *

The next night.**

"In third place, Brendan Cole and Karen Hardy, in second place, Ian Waite and Camilla Dallerup. And, in first place… William Haithe Tellbing and Zara Mollie Bengt!"

The crowd went wild as the young couple went up to collect their awards. As Gabriella looked out into the audience contentedly, she saw, all together, her friends.

Now they knew.

Now her life was complete.

**

* * *

A/N: I can't believe I have finished this story!! This is my first multi-chapter FanFic that I have completed, so I am really pleased. Yay! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed.**


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